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Cry Havok and let loose the dogs of the [Military Thread]

Posts

My favorite thing about the military: One person shits themselves, and we all have to wear diapers. Can someone explain to me how the thinking that, if one person fucks up, the whole section/flight/squadron pays for it, works? I've never understood this.

Alcohol related incident every weekend from August 2010 to March 2011 when I was a Company XO. We had some dumb and shitty 88Ms. Same people doing the same stupid stuff, interspersed with the occasional random moron or non-driving alcohol incident. Fighting with the Polizei is a bad move. Especially if you're blackout drunk and that's the defense you want to go with in front of the Battalion Commander.

I'm gonna be a stick-in-the-mud Officer they hate because I don't drink alcohol...

Oh no they're going to love you, because you'll always be ready to come in at any time on the weekend.

Oh yeah, you're gonna be the guy who'll get 'the call' from either your boss or your fellow LTs. It will amount to the following key information:
-someone has gotten arrested by the SP/SF/MPs and needs to be released to someone from the unit
-the person calling can't or won't because they've been drinking or outrank you
-your NCO can't because they have also been drinking or isn't of sufficient rank
-and don't forget to fill out the OPREP, and do it properly because higher is a dick about those things

Your troops will love that they can call you using the alert roster at 3am and go "Sir, I'm downtown with so and so from the unit, and we don't have money for a taxi and we've all been drinking and no one is picking up their phones (even if you and your NCO specifically designated a rotating "sober" squad to do these kinds of pickups). Can you give us a lift back to the barracks?" And you will be happy that they called because it means you don't have to do any paperwork. Yes, you will get that call and be GLAD for it because it means no names on the blotter, no Article 15s, no OPREPS, and no counselings (except the ones your NCOs need to do about always keeping money for a taxi). And you will have to be happy about it and go and pick their sorry buts up because it is very likely that during the Friday afternoon safety brief for the weekend you will have TOLD them to call you under these circumstances.

Have fun, make sure to write down the stories, and keep a sense of humor about it. When we get to drug use, remind me to tell the story of my two Soldiers that smoked Spice and the OSI investigation that happened at 3am.

I'm gonna be a stick-in-the-mud Officer they hate because I don't drink alcohol...

Nah, most folks are pretty ok with people's values. If anything, they respect that you stand for something. Just be ready to drink copious amounts of something that looks like booze

Ah. My det has a grog bowl that's a sterilized toilet with radiation warning stickers all over it. D:@Leamkral I'm writing this down because that's exactly what's going to happen and the cadre confirmed it too.

Not drinking us a bonus if anything as said above. And leaders get judged based both on not being an asshole themselves as well as how effectively you can use your umbrella to somewhat shield your subordinates from raining shit from above.

I'm gonna be a stick-in-the-mud Officer they hate because I don't drink alcohol...

Nah, most folks are pretty ok with people's values. If anything, they respect that you stand for something. Just be ready to drink copious amounts of something that looks like booze

Ah. My det has a grog bowl that's a sterilized toilet with radiation warning stickers all over it. D:@Leamkral I'm writing this down because that's exactly what's going to happen and the cadre confirmed it too.

YMMV. I was in one of the worst companies (in terms of alcohol incidents) in Europe, and Army wide even. It was a crash course on DUIs and how to deal with a systemic problem as a Commander. It was bad enough that my boss threatened to put everyone on "no drinking" status, but was turned down by his boss. Yeah, mass punishment, but it would have added "disobeying lawful order" to all the Article 15s and gotten people kicked out faster.

I'm sure you won't have it as bad as me, we had a variety of circumstances coincide to create the situation I was in.

I wasnt initially aware of he EXACT statue, nor did JAG tell me about it, nor did vehicle registration, nor did the DMV. Seeing as I had bought a vehicle in Germany, owned it for two years, then brought it back, I was upset to be told I owed $807.90 in sales tax. Well, a bit of homework that evening and I am now in the process of getting that money refunded.

Really, anyone importing a vehicle from overseas, do your homework or that "tax-free" vehicle won't be. Hold onto your registration documents, because that is often the only proof you'll have cause they TOOK my previous title and issued me a Virginia one.

I much preferred having United steal my money, I got a free suit out of them.

We're having a future soldier competition thing between the different (army) recruiting stations around here tomorrow. Yesterday we did try outs at my station to see who would be best for what event.

I missed the best time for our sprint by like .03 seconds. Recruiter tells me I'm definitely doing the relay race.

Then we did push-ups. I went last, since I had sprinted last as well. Best score before me was 41 push-ups in a minute. Some of the guys only did 20. I thought, "huh, I do 3 sets of 45 when I go to the gym right now, wonder what my max is." Turns out my max for 1 minute was 65. Over 50% more than the next highest person. Recruiter told me I wasn't running anymore.

Sit-ups and pull-ups, I got second on both. I never do sit-ups, though I guess doing them one time a week at the gym from now on probably won't kill my back. Planks and hanging leg raises aren't training me for sit-ups enough, I guess. On pull-ups, I kind of screwed myself, since I always do them with no kip and down until my arms are straight between each rep, and I kept letting myself drop too far down (didn't have to straighten the elbow more than 90 degrees on the way down if we wanted).

But yeah, I looked up the APFT score required to get 100 points in push-ups. 77. In TWO minutes. Ha!

Sit-ups, I need 82 though (did 43 in one minute), so I guess they definitely need work.

So I'm not too far off my goal of a 300 APFT before BCT! I'm at 75 points on the run, easy 100 for push-ups, and if I do half as many sit-ups in the second minute, that's still a 79.

Isn't there some kind of law that employers can not do shit to you if you're in the Reserves and get called up? I'm thinking of not saying anything about my situation.

I've got programming skills and secret clearance, soon to be top secret. Someone out there will hire me.

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/userra.htm
If you're in the Guard/Reserves and get called up for active duty (even active duty for training), you have the right to:
1) Be reemployed if:
a) You give your employer as much advance notice as you legitimately can
b) You have <= 5 years cumulative service in the military while employed by that employer
c) You return to work and reapply for employment in a timely manner
d) You where not discharged from the military for a disqualifying disability or other than honorable conditions.
2) Freedom from Retaliation and Discrimination:
a) Past or present; have applied for membership in the uniformed service; OR are obligated to serve:
1) Employer cannot deny you any of the following:
i) Initial employment
ii) Reemployment
iii) Retention in employment
iv) Promotion; or
v) any benefit of employment.
3) You also have the right to continue to use their health insurance protection for 24 months while in the military if you have to leave the job in order to perform service.

This means, if you get called up for active duty and you where only able to give a week advance notice (which has happened), then the employer may not fire you, they must rehire you, and they cannot deny you promotion rights you would've earned while you are gone (to include bonuses).

@moocow
The easiest way to do situps is: once you pull yourself up to your knees, just "fall/drop" back down to the mat. Don't go slow, don't use any of your ab muscles on the way down, just release and drop. More effort is spent controlling your way down than there is from just falling and using the spring of when you hit to go back up. If you find yourself still controlling your descent, you don't even have to go all the way down: only the bottom part of your shoulder blades need to touch. It's less effort to just stop and reverse direction when your shoulder blades touch the mat than it is to go all the way down to where you're laying on the mat completely. Tuck in as much as you can and you can essentially create a rolling motion without bringing your ass off the ground that makes the whole thing simple as shit.

My best I've ever done for situps was 112 in 2 minutes. Every APFT after that, I've always just stopped at 65 because there was no point in doing more. I can usually knock out the first 60 in about 50-60 seconds.

Isn't there some kind of law that employers can not do shit to you if you're in the Reserves and get called up? I'm thinking of not saying anything about my situation.

I've got programming skills and secret clearance, soon to be top secret. Someone out there will hire me.

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/userra.htm
If you're in the Guard/Reserves and get called up for active duty (even active duty for training), you have the right to:
1) Be reemployed if:
a) You give your employer as much advance notice as you legitimately can
b) You have <= 5 years cumulative service in the military while employed by that employer
c) You return to work and reapply for employment in a timely manner
d) You where not discharged from the military for a disqualifying disability or other than honorable conditions.
2) Freedom from Retaliation and Discrimination:
a) Past or present; have applied for membership in the uniformed service; OR are obligated to serve:
1) Employer cannot deny you any of the following:
i) Initial employment
ii) Reemployment
iii) Retention in employment
iv) Promotion; or
v) any benefit of employment.
3) You also have the right to continue to use their health insurance protection for 24 months while in the military if you have to leave the job in order to perform service.

This means, if you get called up for active duty and you where only able to give a week advance notice (which has happened), then the employer may not fire you, they must rehire you, and they cannot deny you promotion rights you would've earned while you are gone (to include bonuses).

@moocow
The easiest way to do situps is: once you pull yourself up to your knees, just "fall/drop" back down to the mat. Don't go slow, don't use any of your ab muscles on the way down, just release and drop. More effort is spent controlling your way down than there is from just falling and using the spring of when you hit to go back up. If you find yourself still controlling your descent, you don't even have to go all the way down: only the bottom part of your shoulder blades need to touch. It's less effort to just stop and reverse direction when your shoulder blades touch the mat than it is to go all the way down to where you're laying on the mat completely. Tuck in as much as you can and you can essentially create a rolling motion without bringing your ass off the ground that makes the whole thing simple as shit.

My best I've ever done for situps was 112 in 2 minutes. Every APFT after that, I've always just stopped at 65 because there was no point in doing more. I can usually knock out the first 60 in about 50-60 seconds.

As to situps, slamming yourself back into the mat (not too hard) can help you pump out a few more as you use the inertia from the bounce to complete another situp. It is a decent plan if you are only a couple away from your goal and getting tight on time.

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/userra.htm
If you're in the Guard/Reserves and get called up for active duty (even active duty for training), you have the right to:
1) Be reemployed if:
a) You give your employer as much advance notice as you legitimately can
b) You have <= 5 years cumulative service in the military while employed by that employer
c) You return to work and reapply for employment in a timely manner
d) You where not discharged from the military for a disqualifying disability or other than honorable conditions.
2) Freedom from Retaliation and Discrimination:
a) Past or present; have applied for membership in the uniformed service; OR are obligated to serve:
1) Employer cannot deny you any of the following:
i) Initial employment
ii) Reemployment
iii) Retention in employment
iv) Promotion; or
v) any benefit of employment.
3) You also have the right to continue to use their health insurance protection for 24 months while in the military if you have to leave the job in order to perform service.

This means, if you get called up for active duty and you where only able to give a week advance notice (which has happened), then the employer may not fire you, they must rehire you, and they cannot deny you promotion rights you would've earned while you are gone (to include bonuses).

I ain't telling employers shit, then.

Man, I used my USAA Career Starter Loan to pay my final year's worth of tuition, make a Bond Fund and IRA, and saved the rest for three different emergencies I was anticipating, and all three happened. My car broke down for the first time ever, my job closed prematurely and now this far away E.A.D. date. I'll be able to ride this out but I had to liquidate the bond fund to live off of that until I can get meaningful employment.

Ugh. My mom's date blames Obama for this happening to me. I wanted to bitch him out right there.

Anyone familiar with what you're entitled to as far as TMO is concerned in regards to seperation/terminal leave?

What branch? I'm sure it differs. In general you get X days of house hunting when you're separating, I think it's 10.

I've heard something like that. I want to extend my terminal as long as possible. As of right now my ETS is 4 Sep, I should be off R&R around May 12 or so. 66 days of leave would put me around June 30. If I could drag that back another 10 days I'd be ecstatic.

Do you mean TMO like household goods shipment? If that's the case, I'm fairly certain you'd get your full weight allowance to your home of record.

Do they ship vehicles? My g/f and I have 3 vehicles. I'm guessing they'll ship one for me, and then I can DITY everything else in our vehicles. Sell all the big shit we don't need like couches, bed, etc.

They will do a household goods shipment wherever you want, but they will only pay the Cost of shipping to your home of record. I don't know if they do a conus shipping of cars as I was returning from oconus. They did, however, offer to ship my car to whatever vpc I wanted. Also, the navy had a surface fleet vehicle program where they would ship cars on empty vessels returning from Hawaii. Not sure if it's available else where.

This *may* have recently changed (I heard it was changing for US locations like Hawaii and Alaska for married folk) but as of Nov/Dec that was the case. You can also get a vehicle on each persons orders if you're married mil-to-mil so there's that. Also a lot of car companies in Germany will ship it to the US for you if you purchase in country (BMW, Volvo, etc).

Hey guys, I have a quick question regarding the recruitment process. I am currently in the process of applying to the U.S. Coast Guard. I've taken my ASVAB test and the physical, but my recruiter is telling me that they have to wait for the budget to be renewed this August before I can reserve a ship-out date (she says I'll probably get a reservation in August). If I go to other branches will they tell me the same thing, or is there a way to get me an earlier ship-out date depending on what branch I go to?

Two solid days on inbriefing for this Captain's Course, and every single speaker has somehow managed to bring up the Army getting smaller in the near future. I even remember TRICARE lady bringing it up, somehow. I think the REAL plan is to just keep telling people the force is going to get smaller so much that people will want to resign or get out just to stop hearing it.

Heh, we just had our briefing on how to use move.mil, and of all twenty commissioning students, only three in the room have orders. Everyone else has to find a job.

Daaaamn...

We've all been given a "placeholder" EAD date of May 2013. When (if?) we get a training date, we get a new EAD date to reflect that. It's a nightmare with how arbitrary it seems. Four of us are 17 Deltas, I'm one of them. Two of us have to start the weekend we graduate, me and another guy get the placeholder. One of them leaving early says he'd trade with me if he could. He would rather take a vacation and I would rather pay down my college debt as fast as possible

One of my mom's customers said that they're building a building exclusively for the Cybers in Louisiana. That it's completely empty but might be where we will go when training's over.

Smaller military, more with less, a leaner force, etc. I know I'm getting sick of hearing it. I've been part of shops that were at 40% manning, and I can tell you just what happens when people do more with less.

In between the sulking I've been doing about my career, I've been working out extra because I'm a slow runner and this is the first time I've ever been allowed to be a part time student. I've taken my 1.5 mile run time down to 11:30. I want to see if I can shave off another 30 seconds before the commissioning ceremony.

I think you definitely can, and I'm surprised your run time is so high. I rely on the run to get me all the points, seeing as how a lot of them are attached to it. My detachment is really fit overall, though.

My pushups are so, so bad. It's embarrassing. Thankfully I max crunches. It stinks that I am under the weight limit but always get dinged a few points for having a big waist. Blargh.

....outside that time I lose all willpower/have coding to do/ senior design/etc. This is the first semester I've been part time and by doing an extra two per week consistently, I'm seeing dramatic results. I'm still skinny though.

I just had the very, very upsetting experience yesterday of seeing a a guy getting my section's sole early promote evaluation on the basis that he "Has the numbers". Despite the fact that he hasn't deployed in forever forever for personal reasons and utterly, horribly sucks at his job. What's even worse is the person directly below him is the single best E-4 I've ever worked with.

Dear God I hope the first classes and chiefs change it up. It's going to be a fucking travesty if this guy gets ranked number one.

I'm kind of tempted to enlist in the Coast Guard after I graduate from college. It's probably nothing more than a passing whim, but can anyone offer me insights on military life (or ideally the CG itself), what to think about before enlisting, etc.? Sorry if this is too vague.

I just had the very, very upsetting experience yesterday of seeing a a guy getting my section's sole early promote evaluation on the basis that he "Has the numbers". Despite the fact that he hasn't deployed in forever forever for personal reasons and utterly, horribly sucks at his job. What's even worse is the person directly below him is the single best E-4 I've ever worked with.

Dear God I hope the first classes and chiefs change it up. It's going to be a fucking travesty if this guy gets ranked number one.

I'm kind of tempted to enlist in the Coast Guard after I graduate from college. It's probably nothing more than a passing whim, but can anyone offer me insights on military life (or ideally the CG itself), what to think about before enlisting, etc.? Sorry if this is too vague.

Every branch is very different as far as active duty goes. As an AF guy I can't tell you much about the CG, in fact, in 6 years I've never seen someone in the CG. They're like Unicorns, a mythical beast with rare restorative properties if you can catch them.

I'm kind of tempted to enlist in the Coast Guard after I graduate from college. It's probably nothing more than a passing whim, but can anyone offer me insights on military life (or ideally the CG itself), what to think about before enlisting, etc.? Sorry if this is too vague.

Every branch is very different as far as active duty goes. As an AF guy I can't tell you much about the CG, in fact, in 6 years I've never seen someone in the CG. They're like Unicorns, a mythical beast with rare restorative properties if you can catch them.

Haha that's how I feel about the CG too. That, and the PHSCC/NOAA
I'd recommend looking at their website/wiki and getting an idea of what they do, where their bases are, how often they move around, etc. They get a bad rap because they're not under the DoD, but they still have a tough job. It's more police work than foreign war.